GILL ST. BERNARD’S OUTLOOK: Among the six teams remaining, only top-seeded and 100-point scorer Shabazz had an easier time in its state final. After scoring 14 unanswered first-quarter points, Gill never saw its lead drop back into single digits en route to winning the Non-Public B crown. What makes the Knights so dominant? For starters, few teams have played in as many elimination games over the past four seasons as the three-time Somerset County Tournament champions and four-time sectional finalists. Then there is the unique athleticism that Dominique Vitalis and Taylor Rooks bring to the frontcourt, the fastbreak tempo pushed by the guards, and the multiple deadly 3-point shooters who will wait for an opportunity to make opponents pay for a double-teaming in the post.

JACKSON MEMORIAL OUTLOOK: Like Gill, Jackson Memorial is a first-time state champion and T of C participant. To punch its ticket, it only needed six 2-point baskets and five free throws as a complement to the 3-point shooting and defensive clinic put forth in the Group IV final. Hannah Missry knocked down eight of her team’s 11 treys, covering for an off-night by fellow sharpshooter Stephanie Mason. Led by quick point guard Tiffany Montagne, the Jaguars got away with taking a few risks at the defensive end but could duplicate their success if they are able to force the Knights to play in the halfcourt. Both teams were 0-2 against common opponents St. John Vianney and St. Rose, though Jackson Memorial’s average margin of defeat was 13.5 points compared to Gill’s eight.

And an analysis with a pick from Asbury Park Press scribe Josh Newman:

4) Gill St. Bernard’s vs. (5) Jackson Memorial, 6 p.m.

We understand that North Hunterdon is a staunch zone team under head coach Tom Hank, but when Hannah Missry and a 3-point shooting outfit like Jackson Memorial come out and shred that zone, it’s probably time to get into man-to-man for the remainder of game. Missry and the Jaguars took advantage of plenty of open looks on Sunday to get to this point and now face their toughest test to date. Gill St. Bernard’s is big, physical, can go up and down if need be and are well-schooled. Jackson Memorial has been on a ridiculous ride for the last week with wins at Rancocas Valley, against Washington Township and against North Hunterdon, but this is a completely different challenge. In our estimation, Gill St. Bernard’s is capable of winning the TOC, that’s how much talent there is on that roster as all of its five starters, Dominique Vitalis, Linnett Graber, Sam Graber, Taylor Rooks and Jasmine Sina can play. The key matchup to watch is Vitalis, a 6-foot-2 Georgetown recruit, being guarded by Shannon Evans. The other matchup that sticks out is who will guard Rooks, a bruising 6-foot-1 junior. We expect that assignment to go to Tiffany Montagne, who has locked down some very big offensive threats this season. The Jaguars love to shoot and some of those triples better be going down early because the Knights can put up points with nearly anyone. This has been a great run for Jackson Memorial, but it has yet to see a team with this many players capable of doing damage. The winner of this one gets No. 1 seed Malcolm X Shabazz on Thursday in the 8 p.m. semifinal. THE PICK: Gill St. Bernard’s 58-50.

About Ryan Dunleavy

Ryan Dunleavy has covered Rutgers athletics for more than a decade, dating back to his days as a student at his alma mater. He became New Jersey Press Media’s Rutgers women’s basketball beat writer in 2009 and Rutgers football beat writer in 2013. Since joining the staff in 2004, the Morris County native also has covered the NFL, MLB, NBA, the Somerset Patriots and high school sports.

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Simeon PincusA graduate of Kean University, Simeon Pincus has been covering NJ sports since 1997, including softball at the Courier News since 1999 and girls soccer since 2001. He began covering CN girls basketball in 2013-14E-mail Simeon